The Morning After the Scary House
by RinaSkitty
Summary: Set after the end of Episode 72. Satoshi notices Citron's still shaken up from the previous night at the Scary House, so he offers a bit of support. Diodeshipping undertones :) Oneshot.


_**A/N:**_ Okay, so this takes place just after the end of episode 72 :)

Diode undertones! Yay!

 _"I remember everything now..." Anticpation was thick in the damp air. The old man turned around, giving the group an ominous smile._

 _"I am actually dead..."_

The next thing he could remember, the sun trickling down from the trees warming his face. Every inch of his body ached, having slept on the forest floor all night. He rolled on his side, eyes fluttering open to see a gold coloured head stirring out of a peaceful sleep.

 _Citron.._

"Where are we?" Satoshi sat up, holding the back of his head as it pounded.

"We're.. not at the Scary House anymore?" Citron sat up, looking just as confused.

"Where is Corps-san?.." Serena mumbled as she woke too.

 _That's right! What happened to them?_

The last the boy could remember, they were still in the battered mansion. Corps had just explained to them the photo of himself as a child. It's date read from nearly 200 years before. The ghost Pokemon chuckled miniaclly as the fact dawned on them that they had just spent the evening with a man who had been dead for decades.

"There was a Gengar! And some other Pokemon too!" Citron whirled his head around, adjusting his glasses as they slipped down his nose.

 _So he remembers it too!_

"Onii-chan, maybe you guys had the same dream because you're so close!" Eureka sprang up, looking very well rested compared to the rest of her friends. She smiled quaintly, with Dedenne peeping out of her pouchette.

"No way.."

"I-It can't be.."

"A dream..?"

As the three of them sat in confusion, the little girl trotted ahead, waving enthusiastically back at them.

"Hey! There's the Pokemon Centre! Let's go!" With that, she turned around, marching ahead like she was Queen of the world.

"She's right.." Serena stood, grabbed her hat and backpack and followed. Satoshi however, hung back with the blond boy.

 _No, it wasn't a dream. I'm sure of it.._

There was something in his gut that told the trainer that their night wasn't make believe. That they really had been treated to the ghosts' "welcoming services". Nervously, Satoshi got up, but stopped noticing his friend shaking.

"Hey, need a hand?" He held out a gloved hand to the boy.

"Th-thanks.." he took his hand and stood, strapping his backpack on. Satoshi watched, a whirl of empathy filling in his chest. He still looked so afraid. The boy's hands were clutching his backpack for dear life, and faint dark circles crawled under his pale eyes. He looked positively awful.

He knew Citron wasn't the bravest, that it took all he had last night to save them. Then to be told it was all a dream, that his courage had been for nothing, it actually upset the Kanto boy more than it should have.

"Come on." The three followed Eureka, nearing the next town fairly quickly. Satoshi turned, checking on the inventor.

 _He's still shaken up.. I have to help him, I can't just leave him like this._

The town they had entered was bright and cheery, the cool morning air breezing through window boxes full of colourful flowers. Small buildings painted in pastels lined the town's main road, and at the centre, a fountain housed two stone Swannas as they shot water from their beaks. People wondered in and out of shops, chatting happily amoung themselves. Towards the end of the street, a large building with a bright red roof welcomed trainers.

"Good morning!" Nurse Joy welcomed the group, "How can I help you kids?"

"We'd like to heal our Pokemon." Satoshi announced, looking around the lobby at the other trainers waiting for their recovering friends.

"Of course." The pink haired woman kindly took their Pokeballs, placing them in a softly lined tray. "And your Pikachu?" she asked with a smile as a Pukurin appeared with a rolling cart.

"Pika pi!" The electric mouse bounded onto the cart, as Nurse Joy placed the tray on top and waved goodbye as Pukurin took it into the back.

"Your Pokemon will be healed within half an hour. I appologise, we're a little crowded today. Apparently, last night's storm upset a group of wild Floette, so some of the townspeople brought them in for care."

"It's no problem." Serena smiled, looking in her guidebook. "There's a cute cafe here we can get breakfast at!" She trotted over towards the Kanto boy, flashing the book's screen at him. "Tada! Cafe La Beau!"

"Huh?" Satoshi staggered back, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how close the she was getting. He never really liked being that close to girls. "Oh, cool."

"It's supposed to be really pretty! And.." she winked an aqua eye at Eureka. "They are supposed to have some nice sweets!"

"Yay!" The girl bounced, and tugged on her brother's sleeve, ignoring his tired solemn face. "Let's go, Onii-chan!"

"Alright." he mumbled as she dragged him out the door.

The cafe reminded Satoshi of a cottage you'd see in a fairytale. The outside was covered in climbing flowers and ivy, only tiny specks of the building's original colour could peep through. Darkened iron chairs with decorative swirls sat in a side garden, their table tops covered in what must have been antique lace.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" A young pretty redhead woman asked from behind the counter, her green eyes sparkling.

"Hel-"

"She's so pretty!" Eureka came bursting to the front of the group, marveling at the cashier. "Please marry my brother, s'il vous pl-?!"

Before she could finish, the blond boy hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her away to a small table by a display of teapots.

Satoshi and Serena exchanged glaces as the siblings bickered in what must have been French. They hadn't seen that before. Usually Citron used his Aipom arm to pull her away, but today, the boy had skipped the middle man and manually removed her from the scene.

"I didn't know he could do that.." Serena murmured.

"Well yeah, he's not as weak as he looks." Satoshi replied, turning his attention back to the poor cashier. Her expression was one of confusion and embarrasement. "Sorry for that."

"It's alright. Um, what can I get you kids?" At that moment, Eureka came trotting back, clinging on to Serena's arm like a Manky. She stook her tounge at her brother, who also returned to the group. Satoshi took a step back beside Citron, letting the girls place their order first. He looked at the blond boy.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" he whispered.

"S-sure." he blinked. After the girls got their breakfast, Eureka pulled Serena outside to sit by the flowers, still seemingly upset at her brother.

The boys chose a table at a secluded corner of the cafe, the seats overlooking a grassy hillside not far away. The morning sun shone in, casting a warm gold glow through the cafe. Satoshi made himself comfortable, stuffing his gloves and hat into his bag, then opening the front of his overshirt.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Citron asked, opening a small jar of strawberry jam for his croissant.

"Last night." Satoshi started, noticing that the Kalosian wasn't loosening up. Infact, he looked even more tense as the morning went on. "I don't think it was a dream, and I think you don't believe it either. Right?"

".." the boy didn't respond, instead insisting on adding another spoonful of jam to his food. His head was tilted down, his glasses catching the light.

"Hey, look at me." The Kanto boy said seriously, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder from across the table.

"S-Satoshi.." a faint blush crossed Citron's cheeks as he obeyed, locking his pale blue eyes to Satoshi's deep amber ones.

"Listen, I know it was really hard for you. But I also want you to know that I that I think you were really brave." His expression softened as he withdrew his hand and began to stir sugar into his green tea.

"It's nothing."

"No, it not nothing." Satoshi continued, determined that his friend would get it though his stubborn head. "I've been watching you since we first met, and let me tell you," he wagged a teaspoon at him. "You've grown alot. You're bolder and braver. I mean, Hell, you're even faster and stronger. You should be proud of yourself."

"Th-thank you." his blush deepened shyly.

Neither said anything as they ate their breakfast. The sound of "La Vie en Rose" played on a radio from somewhere behind the counter and people walking by the cafe laughed as they went about their day. Outside, Eureka was wildly gesticulating as she told Serena a farfetched story of somesort.

Satoshi leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of tea. There was a strange feeling swelling in his chest, as he watched Citron from across the table. The boy was fiddling with his food, resembling a bashful Skitty. His cheeks were a soft pink, and a smile had even found it's way onto his face.

 _He's kind of cute.._

The Kanto boy's heart fluttered as he shook the thought away, trying to pull himself back into reality. What was he thinking? Citron was his friend, and on top of that, he was a boy. He couldn't possibly think he was cute...right?

"Anyway," he started, a peachy blush of his own crossing his cheeks. "I want you to know, if you're ever afraid, or if you ever need help," he leaned an elbow on the table and jabbed a thumb in his own chest. "I got your back."

"Thank you, Satoshi." The blond smiled back, eyes twinkling in the gold morning sun.

"Hey, you guys!" Serena waved to them from outside the cafe. "Nurse Joy sent me a message, she says our Pokemon are healed now." She pointed to her guidebook, an electronic envelope blinked on screen.

"Coming!" Citron stood, his mood alot brighter than when they had arrived. "Well, Satoshi, shall we go?" He glaced at the Kanto boy as he picked up his backpack and tossed his paper plate into a waste basket.

For a brief moment, the trainer stood, contemplating the rush of emotions he got from thinking about Citron. Quickly, he forced his head out of the clouds.

"Yeah, let's go!" He swung his bag over his shoulder and followed his group, still feeling a warm tingling sensation as he walked beside the inventor.


End file.
